A Life~ The Story of Aeryn Sun
by AerynQ
Summary: The story of Aeryn Sun's life, relationships, and values before Moya.
1. Default Chapter

A Life  
  
  
Disclaimer: Now comes that part of the fan fic where I am required to state the blatantly obvious in order to avoid being sued. Farscape is not mine! I do not own Aeryn Sun, or Velorec, or Crais, or Xhalex, or Peacekeeper high command. There, doesn't everyone feel better now?  
  
Credits: Teark was created by my BETA reader Erin Cale for use on the "Shippy lil Scaper RPG"(role playing game). So, in other words, yet another character who's not mine. The events of his childhood however are my creation, so in a sense I'm just giving him a past. To EC: Thanks for sharing!  
  
Feedback: Must... get... feedback... or... parish... trying.... Please... take...pity...on...me...send... SEND! Mail it to carlottaq@hotmail.com Thanx!  
  
Archiving: Well, I get so many requests from people desperate to archive my beautiful, wonderful, fantastic, works of literary art... not to mention the thousands of awards I receive... Okay, I'm done living in my little fantasy world now :) . If anyone actually wanted this (Or any of the other pieces I have the audacity to call 'stories') I would be surprised and extremely flattered. That's a yes! Please e-mail first though, so I can jump up and down and do a happy dance. carlottaq@hotmail.com  
  
Censor: PG13 for violence, a bit of gore, and some sexual innuendo.  
  
Warning: Be forewarned that the Aeryn in this story will at times be doing some pretty nasty stuff. She was a peacekeeper, and that's how she lived. Also there will be some sex including underage participants (no descriptions... just implied). You have been forewarned.  
  
Spoilers: Okay, to many to list or remember. Lets just say anything that reveals any piece of Aeryn's past. Especially big spoilers for The Way We Weren't and Thanks for Sharing.  
  
Thanks: To Erin_Cale and her BETA reading skills. Thanks to Birthsister on the Farscape BBoard for suggesting how to fix this fic after it was completely frelled up by information presented in "Thanks For Sharing"  
  
"Why?" Aeryn stood up straight, speaking defiantly to the woman whose ebony hair and stormy gray eyes almost mirrored her own. At six cycles old Aeryn was inquisitive, and her caretaker, Kyrla, knew what a danger her questioning nature would be to her. Kyrla's hand came up against the smooth, pale skin of Aeryn's little face in a hard slap. She began to cry, nobody had ever hit her before. Aeryn was surprised at the coldness in Kyrla's normally gentle voice when she finally spoke.  
  
"You must never ask that question. If you do you'll experience much more pain than you are now." Aeryn continued to sob brokenly, "Wipe your tears child, it is important that you be strong. Now you must always be strong. Always." Kyrla's voice trailed off wistfully, as she finally gave in to her need to take Aeryn into her arms.  
  
"I don't want to leave you." Aeryn whimpered. She was more than a little disturbed by the frown that appeared on Kyrla's face.  
  
"Don't you want to be a soldier?"  
  
"No." Kyrla deposited her charge back on the floor.  
  
"Stand up straight." Kyrla ordered. Aeryn did so. "My dear you have no choice. You must always obey your superiors, and never ask questions. Never speak of me again. This part of your life is over, it will never live again. Do you understand me, Aeryn?"  
  
"No." Kyrla sighed. A large peacekeeper transport touched down in the grass.  
  
"It doesn't matter, there'll be much you don't understand. Be well Aeryn." A tall strong looking man came out of the transport taking Aeryn harshly by the arm. Kyrla nodded at him respectfully.  
  
"I'm scared." Aeryn tried to pull away from the soldier. Kyrla frowned at her.  
  
"You must confront your fears with strength," she said firmly.  
  
"Kyrla..." Aeryn whispered, "I-I love you." Kyrla didn't say anything.  
****  
  
The transport was crowded with other children, all of them roughly Aeryn's own age. However the small space was absolutely silent. Aeryn was sad, but she didn't cry; she had seen the way the soldiers looked at children who cried-like they were the lowest imaginable scum, unworthy even of an honorable death. Aeryn took solace from the exciting feeling of the transport's steady motion, and the stars that glimmered like unshed tears in the black velvet of the sky.  
  
There was a young boy sitting pressed up against Aeryn. He was very small, even more so than Aeryn herself, with dark hair and eyes. Aeryn could feel him trembling against her, and knew her body was shaking similarly. She turned toward him, not quite meeting his eyes, and whispered in his ear.  
  
"Who are you?" She kept her voice very quiet, for fear that one of the mean looking soldiers would hear her. Even that very soft sound was enough to make the boy jump. //He'll end up a tech, never a soldier// Aeryn thought somewhat scornfully, although she wasn't certain that she would have reacted any differently.  
  
"Teark," the boy whispered finally. Aeryn smiled at him, enjoying the conspiratorial secretiveness of this communication.  
  
"I'm Aeryn." Teark seemed to relax a bit, and Aeryn herself felt a bit better. She would have spoken further to him, but a stern look from a burly female soldier silenced her for several microts. When the soldier moved on, Teark spoke to her again.  
  
"Do you think you'll be like her when you grow up?" Teark asked. Aeryn found herself staring after the female officer. She was perfectly formed, the picture of health and strength, as she stood rigidly her weapon hanging impressively at her side. She was beautiful, but so cold and dark-and it seemed to Aeryn drained of any real spark of life.  
  
"I'll be... maybe a little different," Aeryn said finally.  
  
"I'll be very different," Teark pledged.  
  
****  
  
  
Aeryn moved in unison with the other children, in a fierce routine that was made slightly comical by their small size and adorable faces. She had only been aboard the peacekeeper training vessel Nesler for under a weeken, but she already understood these battle exercises well. Her hair was tied back in a braid that was painfully tight, and yet several jet black strands had managed to come loose and stick to her sweat slicked face. She punched and kicked somewhat clumsily at invisible enemies, all the while looking for some sign of approval in her instructor Gbran's face. As usual his face was cold and foreboding, devoid of any passion that was not driven by hatred.  
  
Aeryn was almost knocked over as the girl who was practicing next to her faltered and fell to the ground beside her. The child simply lay there panting, her face flushed bright red from the exertion making her pale blond hair seem almost white. All anarchy broke loose as almost a dozen other young Sebaceans came to crowd around the little girl.  
  
Aeryn exchanged an almost imperceptible glance with Teark as he nudged in closer to her. Then Gbran was there with them, scowling darkly at the fallen girl. His tone of voice was deceptively mild as he ordered every one back to their places. Aeryn obeyed immediately, as did everyone else except of one other little girl. She leaned over the fallen child, touching her red face tenderly.  
  
"Syri's hurt!" The girl's voice was full of childish fury, "Why aren't you helping her?" Why, Aeryn shivered slightly, remembering her mother's warning, and dreading the girl's fate. Why didn't matter, the man was her superior officer, to help her or not was his prerogative and no one else's.  
  
"Resume exercises," Gbran said smoothly. Aeryn once again began to punch at the air, not turning even as the two young girls were dragged from the room. Several microts later Gbran gestured for her and the other children to come closer to him. Aeryn was glad for the break from her exhausting routine. They cautiously sat down, as Gbran began to speak in the soft, patronizing tone of a teacher.  
  
"Now," he began, "Does any body know why we had to get rid of the child Syri?" The room was absolutely silent, nobody dared give an answer for fear they would be punished if it was incorrect. "She is inferior." Gbran's voice was disgusted, "In a regiment, a single weak link can be enough to destroy the entire troop," Gbran pointed to Aeryn, who squirmed uncomfortably under his gaze. "Would you like to fight besides someone who could not even defend herself?"  
  
"No sir." Aeryn's voice was barely above a whisper.  
  
"Do you think it is best to dispose of Syri now?"  
  
"Yes sir." Aeryn was disgusted with the words that came out of her own lips. Teark gave her an angry glance, and Gbran nodded appreciatively.  
  
"You may make a good soldier child." Despite the situation, Aeryn couldn't help feeling slightly proud of the compliment.  
  
"Now... as for her friend." Aeryn was shocked by the malice in his voice as he muttered the word friend as if it were a profanity. "In a battle situation, you do not take time out of a fight in order to help a fallen companion, under any circumstances, and you never show insubordination to a superior officer. You will all learn how dangerous emotional attachments are, especially in a small crew." Gbran took a deep breath, his eyes seeming to burn into Aeryn's, "You are all dismissed."  
  
At Gbrad's order Aeryn began to march stiffly with her young comrades toward the small, Spartan quarters that they shared. Once inside, away from the prying eyes of their superiors, the air of formality dissipated completely. The children moved, clustering into small groups of friends. Aeryn sat alone with Teark on her cot, a position that had become customary for her. Her gray eyes with dark, as she brooded over what had just happened.  
  
"Teark... do you think they killed the girls?"  
  
"Maybe, they were just... made techs." Teark's voice held very little certainty.  
  
"I don't want them to take me away... or you."  
  
"I'm scared," Teark admitted fretfully.  
  
"Me to, but we can't tell anybody that. We just have to pretend we're not. And we have to be the strongest, so that they'll never want to hurt us."  
  
"Will that really stop them?" Teark asked doubtfully.  
  
"Yes, if we're strong, and we only do what they tell us, we'll be safe I think." Aeryn nodded certainly. "We should practice our exercises."  
  
"Now?" Teark whined, "But we just finished and we have class in an arn." Aeryn frowned.  
  
"We want to be the strongest, and exercise makes you strong, so we have to exercise." She explained, jumping up on to her bed, and doing her punching routine. Teark followed her example for a few microts, before he began bouncing on the bed rather than punching the air.  
  
"Teark stop it!" Aeryn exclaimed angrily.  
  
"This is exercise too!" With that Aeryn giggled and joined him.  
  
"I guess it is."  
****  
  
  



	2. A Life part 2

~See Part One For Disclaimers Ect.~  
  
By the time Aeryn was ten cycles old she was at the top of her class. Under the gaze of her instructors she was strong and stoically cold, as was expected of her. She could beat most of her classmates in mock battle easily, and in these battles she was absolutely ruthless. However, when away from the cruel gaze of the adult peacekeepers, she and Teark were as close as ever.  
  
Aeryn had never felt any need to befriend any of her other young comrades, they were weak, sniveling creatures in her opinion. She had seen to many of them fall, either being killed or trained as techs. She had taken Gbran's advise to heart, emotional attachments were dangerous in small crews. As for Teark, she had become attached to him before she had known better, and the attachment remained strong. That's why it was so painful for her when she found out he would be leaving her.  
  
"Aeryn." It was some time late in the ship's sleep period when Teark whispered her name. Aeryn cracked her eyes open slightly, seeing the dim outline of Teark kneeling by her cot. He was still tiny, much smaller than any of the other children. He looked almost two arns younger than he really was, but Aeryn had never seen him as inferior. She yawned, not completely awake as she slowly sat up in bed. Teark climbed up next to her, his dark eyes bright and awake. He took a deep, tremulous breath before speaking again. "I just found out I have to go away." He whispered. Aeryn paled considerably. Her first thought was that he couldn't leave her, she needed him too much.  
  
"When?" Was all she said. She kept her voice carefully controlled, despite her emotional turmoil.  
  
"Tomorrow." Teark whimpered. This emotional display made Aeryn uncomfortable, because she knew if any other peacekeeper were to see him like this he would be in trouble. This all was so sudden, and Aeryn had to work hard to keep herself from crying beside Teark.  
  
"Why?" She began to ask, but the word stuck in her throat, refusing to be said. "Where are they taking you?" She asked instead. Teark merely shrugged.  
  
"Another training vessel." The boy whispered.  
  
"Of course." Aeryn muttered angrily. She nodded solemnly and rolled over in bed closing her eyes. She felt Teark's hands shaking her shoulder insistently, but she feigned sleep. After a moment he gave up, but he lay down next to her, taking her hand in his.  
  
The next morning was absolute hezmona for Aeryn. Teark left early in the morning, along with two other children. He was gone by the time she marched off to her morning training session. By now class had her advanced past fighting the air, and were being pitted against each other, in mock battles. Usually Aeryn enjoyed these, they were a chance to develop new technique, as well as prove her superiority. Today she was distracted, and sluggish from lack of sleep. She was defeated three times in a row by different students, before the days training session finally mercifully ended and she was aloud to return to quarters.  
  
"Miss your little friend Aeryn?" Snickered one of Aeryn's classmates once the door had closed behind them. Her name was Mila, and she had green eyes and straight black hair that was cut short. Aeryn rounded on her furiously, tackling her to the floor. Soon three other girls and a boy, Mila's friends were yanking her off her.  
  
"What is that Gbran say's about emotional attachments?" the boy asked, "not such a perfect soldier now are you?" Aeryn spun around angrily, trying to figure out a way to destroy all five of them at once, when Mila jumped up on her back. Aeryn through her off , and the cursed girl hung painfully onto to her braid. She finally let go only when Aeryn elbowed her in the stomach hard.  
  
Aeryn charged through her attackers, and out of the room. She could here them laughing merrily behind the closed doors, a sound that became coldly engraved in her mind. Her steps were loud and heavy as she moved quickly down the ships corridors. Surprisingly she didn't meet single person as she walked to the gymnasium. She was glad of that, she was afraid that somebody would see the unshed tears in her eyes and think her weak.  
  
As she entered the large room, she immediately strode up to the red training dummy. She felt a desperate need to beat the dren out of something, and her classmates weren't being very cooperative. Her arms moved in a smooth fierce routine, and she smiled through gritted teeth as the dummy took her punishment without a sound. It wasn't long before her body shown with perspiration, and her simple black attire stuck to her skin. She knew she shouldn't be here, class would be starting in a few microts, and she would be in trouble when her instructor found her missing. She didn't care.  
  
The sound of soft laughter interrupted her murderously angry thoughts. She spun around fiercely, like a feral animal, and found herself gazing up at the face of a very tall male soldier. She scanned him quickly. He had auburn hair, and the brightest blue eyes she had ever seen. His handsome face was marred by a large, deep scar running across his left cheek. He seemed very young, but judging from the style of his uniform he was a high ranking officer. She spoke rudely to him, still dangerously absorbed in her fury.  
  
"Stop it! I'm not doing anything funny." The young officer chuckled patiently.  
"I never implied that you were. It's simply pleasing to see a little girl who is obviously so enthusiastic about her studies." There had been a time when the sound of a harsh adult voice was enough to make Aeryn recoil, now the kindness she heard in the man's voice had a similar effect. She turned from him, continuing her futile effort to beat the training dummy to a bloody pulp. When the man was still standing close behind her after several microts she grudgingly returned her attention to him.  
  
"Why the frell are you watching me?" her voice was very loud despite her small size. He let out another infuriating laugh. Stomped her foot. "Tell me now!" She demanded.  
  
"Hmmm... this is new. Aren't you a bit young to be giving me orders." Aeryn blanched, as the realization of how much trouble her current behavior could get her into.  
  
"Yes sir." She mumbled defeated for the second time that day. The peacekeeper man placed a hand on her shoulder.  
.  
"Why don't you let me bring you back to class." He said gently.  
  
"Class doesn't start again for at least a quarter of an arn sir." Aeryn replied. She frowned. She had absolutely no desire to go back to class and see the other children. It seemed strange that she had never noticed until today how much they hated her.  
  
"Alright then, you have enough time to come with me to the galley." Aeryn was confused by the strange direction that this conversation was taking, as well as intrigued by this superior officer who seemed to take such an instant interest in her; beside the longer she stayed with 0this man the longer she could avoid her classmates. //Cowardice// her mind screamed, disgusted by the thought of this avoidance, as the young officer led her down the halls of the great vessel.  
  
"you're a quiet little thing now that you've calmed down a bit." The man remarked offhandedly. His bright blue eyes had an almost hypnotic quality as he studied her intently. Aeryn had to rip her gaze away from his before answering.  
  
"Yes sir." Was all she said. Part of her knew that he was trying to initiate a conversation with her, but the thought of speaking candidly with an adult Peacekeeper struck her as bizarre. He grinned, apparently trying to speak in a manner she would more readily understand.  
  
"Alright officer, state your name and rank." Aeryn grinned in spite of herself to hear him use the title 'officer' when referring to her.  
  
"Aeryn Sun, Cadet third level, sir!" When the man playfully saluted her she laughed outright.  
  
"And I am Captain Erivil, with the Limmyf regiment." Aeryn returned his solute as they entered the galley.  
  
Erivil helped her on to the high bar stool, grinning with warmth that would send the soul of most Peacekeepers into heat delirium. Aeryn flushed with pride as he introduced her to three rowdy soldiers that she assumed were his friends as "Officer Sun". Erivil gestured for the barkeep to come closer to him.  
  
"And what will you be having today sir?"  
  
"Felipe Nectar, of course."  
  
"You mean fillip piss" one of his friends corrected him smugly.  
  
"I don't care what it is, it's still the best stuff in the universe." The commander smiled and turned his attention to Aeryn, "And what will you be having Officer Sun?" She shrugged in response, and he ordered a R'lec shake for her.  
  
Aeryn's R'lec shake was a smooth, icy cold confection, with a somewhat transparent purple tint. It was very sweet, but it had a slightly tangy aftertaste that made it absolutely delicious. She found herself slightly uncomfortable with her company, and location. She knew that she should be participating in training exercises, not enjoying a sugary desert. Captain Erivil's friends had been rowdy and eccentric from the microt Aeryn had met them, and she found that these qualities were enhanced by their drinks. Erivil himself remained calmly playful throughout, and Aeryn was relieved when his friends finally left her alone with him.  
  
"Are you going to tell me why your avoiding training?" There was that word again why.  
  
"I'm not." Aeryn insisted.  
  
"In that case I'll escort you back to class now."  
  
"No!" Erivil smiled smugly.  
  
"I can see you're not avoiding classes." Aeryn looked away from him, mumbling into her now empty cup.  
  
"My only friend was reassigned, and everyone else hates me." When Aeryn looked up at her companion, she was surprised to see sympathy in his eyes.  
  
"You really shouldn't form emotional attachments." His voice was soft, almost soothing. Aeryn nodded briskly.  
  
"I know that."  
  
"It happens some times... About emotional attachments-in the future avoid them at all costs, but don't seclude yourself. The others in your regiment are your comrades, not your enemies. It's alright to enjoy their company, as long as you don't feel anything for them you'll be fine."  
  
"That's difficult." Aeryn admitted. Erivil placed a strong hand on her back, with a forced smile.  
  
"Officer Sun, you are a Peacekeeper! I have nothing but confidence in your strength.  
  
*****  
Aeryn brooded silently in the children's quarters, waiting for G'Bran to come and punish her. She was surprised when several arns passed without her superior appearing. Captain Erivil had said he wouldn't. She was even more astonished when the next day at classes he did not even admonish her. Her classmates however were a different matter.  
  
"I heard ya made friends with a commander." Mila said, plopping down next to Aeryn on her cot. The little girl wore a spiteful smile.  
  
"Perhaps," was all Aeryn said.  
  
"You should have been in trouble, big trouble. Your commander is coddling you, like a little tika cat." Aeryn's face burned with the insult. A tika cat was a small, relatively helpless animal known for its fragility, that was sometimes kept as a pet.  
  
"Leave me alone! We're supposed to be comrades, not enemies!" Aeryn shouted.  
  
"We are not!" Milla stomped her foot.  
  
"We are to!" Aeryn retorted.  
  
"Are NOT!" Aeryn was about to respond in kind, but instead she fixed Mila with a cold stare.  
  
"You are so childish." She whispered.  
  
"And you are a... Tika cat! Tika cat! Tika Cat! Tika cat!" Aeryn's face became fixed in a sneer as she lounged at the girl who taunted her. In less than a microt she was on the floor, struggling under the wait of Aeryn's body. Aeryn's fist came up hard against Mina's face. There was a slight burst of pain as her knuckle came in contact with Mina's hard teeth, but judging from the tears that were beginning to well up in her opponents eyes, she had caused quite a bit of damage. Her lips spread into a cruel grin.  
  
"Tika cat." She snarled getting up off the ground. She glanced at her classmates coldly, disgusted for ever letting herself be intimidated by them. Weak, sniveling children. She was Aeryn-no she was officer Sun, and she was a Peacekeeper. Peacekeepers were superior; peacekeepers could do anything.  
  
She climbed into her cot, her exhaustion visibly apparent. She was uncomfortably aware of her companions eyes upon her. Nobody had moved to help Mila-nobody so much as looked at the girl. Good. Her last thoughts as she drifted off to sleep were of Teark... and how little she needed him.  
  
*******  
  
It was sometime late in the ships sleep cycle when Aeryn awoke to find a tall woman standing over her. Her hair was dark like Aeryn's own, pulled back into a harsh military braid. The woman's face however bore no harshness. It was somewhat aged, with the faintest smile lines. She was gazing down at Aeryn with a look the little girl found utterly unfamiliar  
  
"Don't be afraid," She whispered. "My name is Xhalex Sun." Aeryn got drowsily out of her bed. None of the other children stirred as she looked the woman over appraisingly. The woman's next words were a complete shock. "I'm you mother." Aeryn was too stunned to even reply to this. "But you mustn't reveal to anyone that I was here. Do you understand?" Aeryn nodded mutely, full of unspoken wonder. "I came to tell you something. Aeryn your life is not an accident. And it wasn't an assigned birthing to fill the ranks. Talyn-that's you fathers name-he and I chose to have you. You were conceived in love. I wanted you to know this. It makes you special. We wanted you. And we love you. Go back to sleep now." Aeryn could do nothing but comply. She climbed silently back into her bed and closed her eyes. She listened to the woman-her mother's measured footsteps, and to the soft sound of the door opening then closing. Then she was gone.  
  
Aeryn found her breath coming in erratic gasps brought on by her desperate attempts to fight the sob that wanted to escape her tight throat. Her face contorted into a forced frown, as her closed eyes became laden with tears. Through the night she fought threw her intense feelings of loss and love, feelings she had no right too have. She hadn't realized that emotional attachments could be formed that quickly.  
  
*****  
  
With the morning came doubt. Had that brief experience been merely a dream? Aeryn couldn't remember having ever dreamt before, but it seemed a far more logical explanation. She didn't dismiss the memory, despite its painfulness. Instead she filed it somewhere deep and sacred in the back of her mind, where she could cherish it without letting it destroy her.  
  
The day was not half out when the ship began to tremble at the impact of gunfire. Battles where routine, and she had learned not to fear them at a young age. Indeed, she relished the thunderous blows of the weaponry, and loved watching the bright volley of fire. At the beginning of this particular battle Aeryn was practicing her fighting skills, something she was becoming rapidly proficient at. At Gbran's nodded and she ran with the other children to watch the battle through the window.  
  
"What kind of ship is that?" Mila's voice was awe filled as she stared out at the large, imposing looking vessel.  
  
"I Luxen... I think." Aeryn said uncertainly, forgetting for a microt her feud with Mila.  
  
"Eww... I hate Luxens" One little girl intoned, making a disgusted face. Aeryn inclined her head in agreement.  
  
"They are so..."  
  
"Brutal?" Gbran finished her sentence for her. Aeryn nodded. Gbran smiled, as the ship shook at the impact of the inferior Luxen weaponry.  
  
"Y'know they think their real good soldiers?" A young boy said, causing his companions to erupt in subdued laughter.  
  
"They are barbarians!" Aeryn's voice was confidant, the pain of the past few days being forgotten in the excitement of battle.  
  
"All non-Sabeciens are barbarians Tika." Mila's tone was that of someone who was very secure in their own superiority. Aeryn glared at her, angered by the girl's offhanded insult. Mila touched the bruise Aeryn had left on her jaw briefly, becoming abruptly silent.  
  
Aeryn noticed that Gbran was absolutely beaming with joy, something that was rare for him. Her own grin widened as she noticed something break apart from the Luxen vessel. The large, reddish ship, lurched like a wounded animal caught in the threads dark, star filled tapestry that had become a backdrop to Aeryn's life.  
  
  
******  
  
  
Aeryn gazed dutifully in to the eyes of the young Luxen girl. She was about seven cycles older than Aeryn, a sturdy, muscular female. Her face was relatively pretty for her kind, and her eyes were like tortured blue flames as she stared down at Aeryn and her companions with deep rooted disdain. She had escaped, with several young children on a small pod, just before her ship had exploded. Gbran had explained to Aeryn and her classmates that this particular girl might "know something". What, Aeryn didn't know, and she knew better than to question her superiors. She watched grimly as an older female soldier, with dull brown hair and mud colored eyes, cut into one of the tentacles than hung protruding from the Luxen girl's large head. She screamed, thrashing against her restraints, her face contorted in sheer agony. Aeryn frowned, feeling some sympathy for this poor creature, but unwilling to express that feeling. Sympathy was almost as bad as emotional attachments.  
  
She watched as the brunette soldier handed the knife over to Gbran, who handed it to Mila. The girl stared up at the Luxen, her lower lip trembling. Mila's discomfort helped to lighten Aeryn's mood. She just stood there holding the knife, making no movement toward the furious Luxen. Finally Aeryn turned to speak to her, with nothing but malice in her tone.  
  
"When are you going to cut her? Hmmm?" She asked grinning wickedly. Mila glared angrily back at Aeryn.  
  
"Why don't you cut her Tika?" She sneered. Recognizing Mila's cruel challenge, Aeryn decisively removed the blunt knife from her grasp. She put it up to one of the Luxen's tentacles, and cut deeply. She grimaced as something black and vile that she could only assume was Luxen blood ran sloppily through the crevices between her fingers, settling in warm puddles on the floor and the front of her black leather shirt. In the pit of her stomach enormous pride in shaming Mila warred uncomfortably with her need to vomit.  
  
Her expression was one of triumphant strength however, as she handed the knife to the girl that she had come to think of as her competitor. Mila took it, making a quick, tiny knick in one of the Luxen's tentacles before wiping the black blood on her equally black pants. She passed it on to another child who did the same. The Luxen's screams echoed heartrendingly through the small chamber, but Aeryn barely heard them. They were background noise, insignificant as the throat that uttered them. Aeryn would not allow herself to care for a Luxen barbarian.  
  



	3. A life part 3

~see part one for disclaimers ect~  
  
*****  
  
As with most things, Aeryn's torturing skills improved with practice. Although she heard the tortured screams of many victims, she never actually heard that illusive information that command sought. That thought clutched coldly at her soul.  
  
She also improved in her combat skills, enough so that other classes began to be added to her schedule. In biology she learned why the Luxen girl's blood had been black, and about Sebacean heat death. In a brief history course that lasted no more than a weeken she learned the story of sub-officer Dacon, a tale she was particularly fond of. She was not trained as a tech, but she understood technology enough in order to keep a prowler running effectively.  
  
She was also taught how to use pulse rifles, daggers, and all forms of weaponry. She often had to resist the temptation to use the weaponry on Mila-annoying little trelk. She was fond of her combat studies. At fifteen cycles they began to teach her how to fly a prowler, a pursuit that quickly became the highlight of her young life. She loved the feeling of racing through space at amazing speeds, and watching the stars streak by her. She lived for it.  
  
At the age of fifteen she had also started to notice some rather spectacular changes in her body. She found that oil deposits sometimes allowed red atrocities to erupt on her face, temporarily marring her appearance. More positively, she was beginning to grow taller, and a rather attractive figure seemed to be molding itself out of nothing. She was beginning to feel a strange interests in male Peacekeepers, but not the ones who she had bunked with since childhood. She was more interested in adult Sebacean men, though she never let this interest show.  
  
  
*****  
  
It was late at night when Aeryn was awakened by the sound of the door slamming loudly. Several of her companions began to rouse themselves from their beds as the light flickered on. Mila walked in; her close cropped black hair was disheveled, as was her clothing. The girl wore a slight smile, and seemed excited. Aeryn was the first to speak.  
  
"Where exactly have you been all night?" She asked tersely. Mila flashed her a wicked smile.  
  
"I was with Gbran Tika." Aeryn nodded, urging her to go on. She barely noticed the use of the term Tika. Mila always called her that, she had since given up on punching her in the face every time she said it. Besides, she was interested in what Mila had to say.  
  
"We... um, it was an interesting experience." Mila said, as she began to out of her black PK uniform, and into her yellow nightshirt. "Very interesting." Aeryn actually laughed.  
  
"Is that all you have to say about it?" She asked. Mila pulled her nightshirt on, and than sat down on her cot.  
  
"What do you want to know?" She asked frankly. For the first time ever Aeryn was beginning to feel a certain camaraderie for this girl who she had always seen as an enemy.  
  
"Did you like it?" Aeryn asked after a microt had passed between them.  
  
"That's the strange thing. I'm not really sure."  
  
"Ah... I see." Aeryn grinned, leaving it at that. She didn't see, but she would never let Mila know as much. Pulling her rough military blanket up to her chin she rolled over in bed and closed her eyes. She was surprised to here Mila speak again.  
  
"Rest well Tika." Her voice held none of its usual mockery. Aeryn responded in kind.  
  
"You too."  
  
****  
  
Two weekens later Aeryn was given her first real assignment, and her first real rank. She was to be with the Limmyf regiment, working on prowler maintenance. The work was barely suitable for a tech, but it was a good start for a soldier who was little more than fifteen cycles old. Besides, when the need arose, she would participate in battle besides her comrades. All in all she was excited, for more reasons than one. She knew that the Limmyf regiment was commanded by Erivil, the young officer who had treated her so kindly several years ago.  
  
Aeryn stalked into quarters just after Gbran had given her the news of her reassignment. Most of those who she had grown up had already been reassigned. Only Mila was left, and Aeryn suspected she would be staying a long time considering her relationship with Gbran. Mila smiled at her as she entered the room, but her grin quickly faded as she noticed that Aeryn was beginning to pack her sparse belongings.  
  
"You leaving me to Tika?" She asked, her tone a mixture of sadness and grim humor. Aeryn nodded, as she tossed everything she owned into a small sack: Two pairs of black leather pants, a dark sleeveless leather vest, and a soft white tee-shirt.  
  
"Limmyf regiment." She explained, "due for reassignment immediately." She slung the sack over her shoulder, walking out the door. Only her quick reflexes saved her from being hit by the small silver thing that Mila through at her head.  
  
"Nice catch Tika! Mila exclaimed with forced laughter. Aeryn examined the object in her hand. It was a tiny ring, engraved in a delicate pattern. She gave Mila a questioning glance. "Got it off some dead Delvien." She explained, "Why don't you keep it... to remind you of me or something."  
  
"Yes... every time you look at it I'll think of the sniveling little trelk that gave it to me." Aeryn smiled to soften her words.  
  
"And every time I look at your empty bunk I'll think of the weak little Tika cat who used to sleep there." Mila smiled as well.  
  
*****  
  
Later that day Aeryn arrived at the Gallun 4 base, and met her new commander there. Erivil was exactly as she remembered him. His auburn hair had not faded, nor had the scar on his across his face. The five cycles that had passed since Aeryn had seen him for the first time seemed not to have touched him at all, he still seemed unusually young. He also seemed genuinely glad to see her.  
  
"Ah, if it isn't the little officer." He teased, "But it seems you're not so little anymore." He looked Aeryn over appraisingly, his eyes resting briefly on her chest in a way she found slightly disconcerting "Not little at all. You should make a fine officer." His demeanor seemed to change completely, as he listed for Aeryn the rules of the regiment, and her duties. She could not leave the base unaccompanied, unless ordered to do so. In a battle situation, she was to fight in the back line, do to her youth and inexperience. Extended contact with unclassified alien life forms would result in irrevocable contamination. She was always to obey her superior officer, and answer him with "yes sir" unless otherwise directed. She had already known those rules before joining the regiment, and had never had any problem obeying them before. She doubted she would have any trouble obeying them now.  
  
For the first few solar days of her new assignment Aeryn found herself anxious, and frightened that she would somehow make a mistake that would cost her her life. This feeling faded as she found that her daily routine on the Gallun base was little different than the one she had practiced for years as a child. She would spend arns practicing her battle skills with her new comrades, followed by several more arns performing her assigned tasks, most of which were related to prowler maintenance. After that she would have a brief evening meal, and then another brief period of physical conditioning. Occasionally she would be sent to attend to the many alien prisoners that the base held. She would give them their meager ration of food, as well as a much less meager ration of blows and insults to keep them from becoming to cocky. She would also help to attend to the needs of the peacekeeper vessels and occasional Levithin that docked at the base.  
  
Aeryn was happy. There were rules, and she followed them. She enjoyed her structured life, and the busy schedule that left her no time to think, and sent her to sleep exhausted each night. She liked her crewmates, most of who were much older than her. She also liked captain Erivil who always treated her kindly, although sternly. She was truly a soldier now.  
  
*****  
  
Aeryn lay on her back, carefully examining a prowlers damaged communication system. Her hair was tangled from moving around in the tight space, and her face was covered in specs dust and dirt that for reasons she could not fathom seemed to have invaded the inside of this delicate system. Besides the mess there seemed to be nothing wrong with the system, yet nothing she did seemed to make it work. She jerked her head up, as she felt a light tap on the foot of her boot, almost knocking her head against the top of the engine. Pushing her hands against the wall of the prowler, she slid quickly out of the cave like enclosure. She felt a gush of cool air as she immerged, she hadn't realized how warm the tiny space had become.  
  
A pair of strong arms closed around her shoulders and she found herself pined down by ensign Kel. He was older than her, though Aeryn wasn't sure how much so, with pale brown hair and brown eyes with little specks of blue and green in them. His face was unusually pale, and it seemed to have an almost transparent quality. Since Aeryn had arrived on the Gallun base he had seemed to take a particular interest in her , following her around during his free period, offering to help her with menial tasks. He looked down at her, licking his lips in a playful manner. Then he allowed her to struggle out from under him, laughing at her indignant glare.  
  
"You're a mess." He commented. Aeryn ignored him, as she stood up from the prowler floor. "The old Greecorien on tier nine has apparently escaped. Captain Erivil has sent us to go retrieve him." He gave Aeryn a flirtatious smile, "Looks like you could use a break from-whatever the frell you're trying to do to that engine." Kel was already moving briskly toward tier six, with Aeryn in tow.  
  
"It won't work I was..."  
  
"Really? How did you manage to break it?" Aeryn couldn't tell if he was joking or not. She merely rolled her eyes, annoyed by her companions pestering.  
  
"I was trying to fix it." She replied. Kel slapped her back in an infuriatingly friendly manner.  
  
"Of course you were. Well now you-we-have something more important to do." They soon arrived at tier nine where most of the prisoners were kept. Aeryn's nose wrinkled slightly at the smell given off by the wretched creatures this tier housed. Most of them were hanging limply on their chains, resigned to their fate. A few newer arrivals were struggling valiantly, but to no avail. They had been brought here for various crimes, ranging from mass murder, to merely being an annoyance to their political figures. Aeryn didn't care about the causes of their imprisonment. They were barbarian scum, bugs who needed to be squashed for their own good.  
  
"We should separate." Aeryn suggested, We'll find him faster that way." Kel seemed disappointed, but agreed. He ran off away from her, and Aeryn was suddenly alone under the icy stair of the prisoners. She started at the most obvious place, the Greecorien's cell. His heavy chains had been severed some how, and a few spare links lay scattered on the floor. Other than that there were no signs that a prisoner had ever inhabited the cell.  
  
The next cell over housed an old, felinoid creature. Her species was rare, nobody knew enough of her people even to name them. She had been imprisoned here for so long that nobody even remembered what her crime had been, and if she had ever had a name it had been forgotten cycles ago. Her body was clothed only in thick tangled gray fur, and her body was frail and emaciated. She had droopy blue irises, and she stared at Aeryn, not seeing her, but certainly aware of her presence. Aeryn regarded her with disgust.  
  
"Tell me where the Greecorien went!" She ordered fiercely. The woman's long tail swished back and forth in annoyance. She did not answer Aeryn, merely spat in her general direction. When she opened her mouth Aeryn could see that it was devoid of teeth, and the gums were red and painfully swollen. She was revolted. She repeated her order.  
  
"Tell me where he is now!" The old woman's facial expression didn't change, but to Aeryn it still seemed as though she were mocking her. The felinoid's mouth opened and closed, trying to force coherent words from the throat that had uttered nothing but inarticulate screams and sobs for years.  
  
"Why do you want to know peacekeeper?" She finally managed to mutter venomously, those simple words seeming to hold all her years of pain and hatred. They infuriated Aeryn. She punished the prisoner with a hard kick in the gut. She tried to double over, but her tight chains would not let her. A pained cry escaped her throat, but Aeryn ignored it.  
  
"Now will you tell me what I want to know, or would you prefer I kick you again?" Then Aeryn was trapped in a pair of foul smelling arms that dragged her away from the ancient prisoner. She struggled, stopping suddenly when she felt something cold and sharp press against her side. A deep voice resonated in her ear.  
  
"Is this what they send after me? A pretty little trelk? Surely you don't ever want to become old and ugly like us, now do you. Hmm? Don't worry, all you have to do is fight me, and you never will." Aeryn was not overly frightened. She knew what to do in this kind of situation. She jabbed her arm into his shoulder, and then whirled her leg around, effectively tripping him. He seemed relatively helpless, lying there on the ground, even with his sharp knife waving in the air. He resembled a Sebacean, except for the fact that his brow was more defined. His hair was gray and wild looking, and his face was wrinkled, but Aeryn suspected that his years as a prisoner had aged him prematurely.  
  
Aeryn leaned over him, rendering him unconscious with a quick pentac jab. However, his reflexes were surprisingly acute compared to what she had expected. His knife cut deeply into the left side of her stomach before he lost consciousness. For a moment Aeryn's vision blurred, and she stumbled slightly in pain and shock With quite a bit of difficulty, she managed to regain her equilibrium. She stared down at her wound in mute horror. Already her blood was pouring out of it, soaking through her shirt, beginning to drip like tears onto the floor. In her pain induced haze, all she could think about was how weak the others would surely think her if she couldn't finish her task because a mere prisoner wounded her.  
  
She managed to stumble to a supply closet, where she found some chains to replace the ones the Greecorien had destroyed. She also grabbed several cloths used for cleaning, and stuffed them into her wound, hoping to stop the bleeding. She then carried the heavy chain back to where the prisoner lay. It took her nearly a quarter of an arn to connect them to the wall with fingers that had suddenly become thick and clumsy. She chained the Greecorien to the wall tightly, and removed his knife. That's when she noticed her blood still spattered messily across the floor. She couldn't leave it that way. She returned to the supply closest gathering a few cloths to clean the floor with. Absently, she dropped the knife into a waste disposal unit.  
  
After the floor had been cleaned she began her descent back to tier two, command. She would have to report to Captain Erivil and inform him that she had apprehended the criminal. She wasn't thinking coherently enough to remember to tell Kel of her success.  
  
She entered the captains private briefing room in a small huff. It was a tiny space, equipped only with a chair, a large view screen, and a computer showing the condition of the bases vital systems. Erivil's head shot up from whatever he had been looking at. She could feel her blood beginning to soak through the hastily applied rag, and she was to becoming dizzy.  
  
"Sir," she said respectfully, doing her best to stand straight, "The Greecorien has been apprehended." Aeryn's voice sounded far away to her ears. He nodded, his expression unreadable. "If that is all sir..."  
  
"How were you injured, ensign?" His tone was businesslike, but Aeryn thought she saw some concern in his facial expression.  
  
"The prisoner stabbed me... its nothing serious sir. I'll be alright." Aeryn was not completely convinced by her own words, and Erivil's next action showed that he was not either.  
  
"Let me see." He said, moving toward her. She lifted up the corner of the shirt, where the blood laden cloth was stuck against her skin. Captain Erivil pulled it away from her skin, and began to gently probe the deep wound with his fingers. Aeryn took a sharp intake of breath as he did this, nearly doubling over in pain. Erivil gestured to his chair.  
"Sit there." He ordered, "I'm going to call up a med." Aeryn gratefully sank down into the captains chair. It was hard, and it's back was positioned in a way the forced her to sit upright despite the positions painfulness. She half-watched as the Captain punched a few buttons on his computer terminal, and said something she didn't quite hear into it.  
  
"Did you chain up the prisoner?" Aeryn had to force herself to open her eyes, which had somehow drifted shut. The blood was flowing out of the wound faster now that it didn't have to pass through the thick cloth. When she didn't answer right away, he repeated his question.  
  
"Yes sir. His chains were broken, I had to put in new ones." She rasped.  
  
"And what did you do with his knife?" He asked, leaning close to her, as if straining to hear her voice.  
  
"Threw it out." The corners of his mouth twitched. He seemed to find something amusing about this response, although Aeryn could not fathom what. The med entered in a whirl of motion, and suddenly she was kneeling at Aeryn's feet, examining the wound as Erivil had done. Aeryn payed little attention to what the med was doing as waves of burning hot pain washed through her entire body. She heard dimly something about blood loss, and she registered the med saying that the knife had missed her peripheral nerve. Then something cool and metallic was used to close the gaping wound in her stomach. The med nodded formally toward Erivil, and then she was gone as quickly as she appeared. She stared tiredly at her captain, waiting for him to order her to do something. Finally he spoke.  
  
"Go back to quarters." He said softly, "You are excused from training for tonight." Aeryn nodded, forcing herself back to her feet. She made her way to quarters slowly; the bandage stopped the blood flow but it did little to lessen the pain caused by each movement she made. Erivil walked by her side, escorting to the room she shared with her comrades the same way he had the day she had met him five cycles ago. On that walk they had discussed many issues ranging from emotional attachments to felipes. Now they were both silent.  
  
He followed her into the room. She found she had no strength to change for bed, so she just rolled into her cot clothes and all. She didn't pull her blanket up over her; she felt far to hot already. She closed her eyes, and listened to the door swish open and close as Erivil left the room. For a long time she lay awake, her throbbing side making it impossible for her to find any comfort. It took her several arns to fall into a fevered sleep.  
  
****  
  
As things turned out Aeryn was excused from exercises, as well as her normal duties, for a bit longer than she had suspected. It took three solar days for her wound to heal to any degree. She despised those three days. Not only did she feel as though she were weakening the regiment as a whole, and fear the consequences of this, her inactivity gave her time to think. Aeryn did not like thinking, because most of the time the thoughts that entered her mind the most readily were the ones she found most painful. Lying in that bed, her mind rested on painful separations, mistakes she had made, and a dream of motherly love that somehow wasn't quite a dream.  
  
She was out of bed the microt she realized she was healing, participating in her normal activities like always. At first it was painful, but she had always been one to ignore pain. Life was easier that way, pain that was ignored would eventually go away on it's own, or at least sink far below the surface. With in a weeken the pain caused by her injury had faded into nothingness.  
***  
  
Once again Aeryn was rooting around in the vital systems of a prowler. She loved the great machines as though they were her family. Arns passed seeming more like microts as she tinkered with their systems, fixing any problem she might find. Captain Erivil had once commented that she took better care of the prowlers than any one else who had ever served under him. This compliment inflamed her pride, and consequently she worked much harder. All the prowlers were always in perfect working order.  
  
A loud buzzer sounded causing Aeryn to jerk out from her hiding place under a prowler's ailing engine. The base was a whirlwind of activity as several of the soldiers who had been doing odd tasks around her began taking out there weapons, all running in the same general direction. She quickly took her own pulse rifle out of its holster and, spotting Kel, ran up to meet him.  
  
"What's happing?" She whispered, moving rapidly beside him.  
  
"We've been boarded." He replied tersely. Aeryn was confused. She had believed it was impossible for any hostile aliens to penetrate the base's defense system.  
  
"What? How?" Aeryn asked. Kel merely shrugged distractedly. "Who?" Another shrug.  
  
"We'll find out. Tier three, common." She weaved through the crowd, following Kel closely. As they entered the correct tier, she was the first one to notice the ray of energy moving dangerously toward his head. She pulled him down to the floor quickly. It was then that she got her first view of what was attacking the ship.  
  
The creature looked somewhat reptilian, with chalky white skin, and an extremely elongated head. He was wizened looking, but somehow not old, and his eyes were a shade of black that sent shivers running down Aeryn's spine. He walked quickly, but hunched over at what seemed like a funny angle.  
  
"What is he?" Aeryn whispered. She had never before encountered such a creature.  
  
"A Scarren." Kel said haughtily, as if that should have been immediately apparent. "A telepathic species." He explained after a microt. Already the Sebacean troupes were beginning to move into battle formation. With measured movements Aeryn took her assigned spot near the back of the battle lines, and away from Kel. She hated being behind the action, where she could see the battle but not participate effectively. True, it was safe, nut it wasn't particularly exciting.  
  
The battle was a truly glorious sight to watch. Aeryn saw a few of her own people fall, but most of the casualties seemed to go to the Scarrens. There was blood everywhere, and screaming, and death. It was like being inside one of the legends she had learned about in history class.  
  
"And he stood at the wall, his blood and entrails flowing from his body like a mighty river. He spoke calmly, and stood at attention, even as his life drained from him. With his last breath he negotiated a lasting peace between the two warring peoples." Aeryn grinned savagely at the memory of the story of sub officer Dacon. She watched the fight, occasionally joining the fray with her own pulse rifle. This was what being a peacekeeper was all about.  
  
Captain Erivil was up front, leading his troop. Aeryn watched the speed with which he took the lives of three Scarrens, with a certain amount of surprise. He had always seemed so gentle, but now for the first time she realized how ruthlessly capable he was in battle. Another thing she noticed was that some of the Scarrens were fighting back in extremely unusual manner. Some were simply staring at soldiers, using their eyes to make them double over in pain. Aeryn made a point not to be caught staring at them.  
  
*****  
  
The battle was over. The Peacekeepers were victorious. Aeryn had never doubted that this would be the outcome. The Scarrens had seemed powerful, but they had been vastly outnumbered. As the last Scarren fell a strange sort of silence descended through the room. Aeryn was afraid even to breath, to break the eerie hush. Captain Erivil was the first to move, taking two of the seven Scarren bodies and stuffing it through the airlock triumphantly. Soon other troupes were doing the same, moving both Scarren and Sebacean corpses. A few went back to their normally scheduled tasks, but most remained present for the clean up duty.  
  
Why had the Scarrens attacked them? Aeryn desperately wanted to know the answer, but would not allow herself to utter a phrase that contained the forbidden word. Instead she pushed the question from her mind, as she did so many other things. It was merely the product of idle curiosity anyway. What she needed to know her superiors would tell her.  
  
Aeryn moved toward a body that lay disconcertingly near her feet. The hair was a light brown color, and the skin the coldest shade of white Aeryn had ever seen. She turned it over, wishing to gaze one last time at the face of the warrior who had once lived. It was Kel! Her breath caught in her throat for a moment before she slung him over her shoulder. She didn't exactly feel any sadness at his passing. He was infantry, and therefore expendable, as was she. Death was merely a reality that had to be faced. It didn't matter. Still, it felt a bit odd to know that she was the last person to ever speak to him.  
  
He was given no sort of funeral ceremonies. Aeryn stuffed his body into a bag and out an airlock, and that was that. She realized that some species believed in a life after death. Aeryn believed that any such concept was a complete load of dren. When one died, everything that sustained life was shut down. There was no place left inside the body for life to continue to exist, and there was no way a normal flesh and blood being could suddenly become non-corporal. Such theories were scientifically not possible, but such were the beliefs of lesser life forms.  
  
Aeryn watched somberly through the view port, as several bodies, both Scarren and Sebacean, floated out into space, still locked in the ghastly positions of death.  
  
****  
  
As things turned out, the grisly reality of death had some rather positive side effects for Aeryn. About a weeken after the battle she was called down for a meeting with Captain Erivil. She walked into his briefing room nervously, standing at respectful attention before him as she had always been taught to do.  
  
"At ease ensign." The Captain gave her one of his trademark half smiles. "Do you know why I've called you down here?" He asked. Aeryn shook her head.  
  
"No sir," Was all that she said.  
  
"As you know one of our prowler pilots was killed in the battle with the Scarrens."  
  
"Yes sir." Aeryn found she liked the direction this conversation seemed to be taking.  
  
"You'll be undergoing a slight change in assignments." Erivil was smiling more broadly now. "Officer Sun, you are this regiment's new pilot." It was all Aeryn could to keep from jumping up and down with glee. For the longest time all she had wanted in the universe was to fly prowlers. Now she had the only position she had ever truly desired. The Captain nodded toward her, seeming pleased by her evident elation. "You are dismissed." Aeryn was making her way to the door, when suddenly Erivil stopped her.  
  
"Officer Sun, are you familiar with... recreation?" Aeryn gave him a confused glance before speaking.  
  
"You keep me a bit busy for games sir," she answered respectfully. Erivil actually seemed to blush.  
  
"I mean the kind between a man and a woman." Now Aeryn blushed as well.  
  
"You mean the exchange of body fluids?" She asked. Erivil nodded. "No sir, not in application." Captain Erivil nodded briskly, shattering the awkward moment.  
  
"That will be all ensign. You may go now." He finished enigmatically. On her way to training exercises Aeryn contemplated her new position, as well as her Captain's strange questions.  
  
****  
  
Aeryn was not the type to reminisce. She remembered things she needed to know, lessons learned, but she let simple things go. The past had a way of being the past. She rarely thought of Mila or Kel, and never of Teark. That was why it was such a surprise when one of these people reentered her life when she was sixteen cycles old.  
  
Like so many events in her life, Teark's reappearance was something that caused her to loose sleep. It had been a difficult day. The base had been busy, attending to several large transports, and the prisoners it held had been especially rowdy. Aeryn had gone to bed exhausted, only to be woken up what seemed like only a few microts later.  
  
Aeryn blinked several times, trying to overcome her sleepiness. There was a warm body leaning over hers, though it was to dark in quarters for her to see it. Once her lethargy had finally cleared, she reacted violently, taking hold of the hand that rested gently over her lips, and twisting it hard.  
  
"Aeryn-Aeryn no!" Came a somehow familiar male voice. The use of her name was the only thing that kept her from breaking the man's wrist. She paused, long enough for him to continue speaking, "Don't you recognize me?" He asked plaintively. Aeryn moved away from him.  
  
"Of course not! It's frelling pitch black in here!" Her tone was angry. She wanted to be sleeping, not conversing with this mystery man. He sighed, and then whispered to her.  
  
"Aeryn, it's me... It's Teark." The sound of that name being said was like a blow to Aeryn's stomach. For the longest time she had convinced herself that she no longer cared about him, that she had stopped missing him. He was one of two emotional attachments she had formed, and though cycles had passed and she was no longer a child, that attachment could not be denied. That's why when he pulled gently on her arm to get her out of bed and into the hallway, she did not resist him.  
  
In the well lit hall she got a good look at him for the first time. When they were little she had always now been taller and stronger than he. The man before her possessed more height and muscle than she most likely ever would. His dark hair and eyes remained the same as they always had however, as did his basic facial figures, although now Aeryn found them a bit more intriguing.  
  
"You've changed." They both said in unison. A trace of a smile began to show on Aeryn's usually stoic face. Teark's grin was broader.  
  
"Well, your taller than I remember." Aeryn stated awkwardly, and than cursed the stupidity of that statement. Of course he was taller, the last time she had seen him he had been only ten cycles old.  
  
"So are you." He replied, seeming more at ease than Aeryn herself was feeling with this strange encounter.  
  
"Why are you here?" She asked quietly. Then she caught herself, she had used the word why. She didn't remember who had told her that that word would get her into trouble, but she had always held that rule as important. It didn't matter so much though. It was only Teark, her friend. So simple a word would not turn him against her.  
  
"You say that as though you wish I wasn't." Teark seemed somehow disappointed. Aeryn didn't want to disappoint him, didn't want him to feel that she was no longer the person he had come to see.  
  
"No-no" She answered quickly, "It's just, your appearance confuses me. That's all." Teark smiled at her, a small facial expression that seemed to send a warm glow across his face.   
  
"I'm with the D'Alene. I trust you checked it in?" Aeryn nodded, she had admired the D'Alene as it had docked near one of her prowlers. It was a gorgeous vessel, and Aeryn couldn't help but being a little jealous of its captain. "It's here for some maintenance work... In the meantime..."  
  
"I've got it, you're here with it." Teark nodded in agreement, and then suddenly took Aeryn by both hands.  
  
"I've missed you." He whispered. Aeryn nodded, but didn't reply vocally. After a microt she looked away from his dark eyes, not knowing what to say. He let go of one of her hands, but held tightly on to the other, gently pulling her down the hallway.   
  
"Wait," She whispered, "What exactly are you planning to do?" She found she didn't like the look in his eyes, even though he was still smiling. She jerked her hand away from his, "We're not even supposed to be out here right now, its..."  
  
"Don't worry Aeryn! We're not doing any thing wrong." He promised, staring unnervingly at her. Aeryn remained skeptical, but found her desire to follow her friend outweighed her nervousness about the situation. The walk, which turned out to be the docking bay was shrouded in an uncomfortable silence that seemed to make the short trip interminable.  
  
He paused, looking briefly into her eyes, before stepping into one of the prowlers that she cared for as if it were her child. She followed him quickly, her curiosity more than aroused.   
  
"What exactly are we doing?" Her voice was so quiet that it was almost inaudible. Something told her that despite Teark's assurances, they were doing something that they shouldn't be.   
  
He gestured toward a girl who was sitting huddled in the passenger seat of the prowler. She seemed to be fourteen cycles old at the most, probably younger. She seemed tall for her age, and strong looking. Her facial features were plain verging on ugly, and her eyes were greenish brown in tint. Her hair color was brownish and indistinct. The only thing that was remarkable about this girl was the tremendous bulge in her stomach. Teark rushed over to the frightened looking girl.  
  
"Carah, this is Aeryn, my friend." He said soothingly, "She's going to help us."  
  
"Help you what?" Aeryn was beginning to become agitated, and it showed. Teark smiled at Carah indulgently. Aeryn felt a surge of jealousy at this look. They were obviously very close, how much so she wasn't sure, but she found she didn't like it. He then returned his attention to Aeryn.  
  
"She's pregnant Aeryn, an assigned birthing based on her genetics," he began to explain, "She wants to keep the baby, it's hers. They won't let her. We need to get her away from here." Aeryn exploded at him.  
  
"I thought you said we weren't going to break protocol!" She hissed, carefully keeping her voice soft enough so as not to attract unwanted attention.   
  
"No, I said we weren't going to do anything wrong. This isn't wrong. You pilot these things don't you Aeryn?" She nodded mutely.  
  
"Please help us." Teark's voice was gentle, imploring. "You'll be back before morning, nobody will even realize that you were missing." Aeryn found herself unable to refuse his plea, not only because he was the only true friend she had ever known, but because she still remembered her brief encounter with her own mother. She merely nodded, taking her spot in the driver's seat of the prowler. Teark clapped her on the back affectionately, and she was disturbed by the thrilling sensation that moved through her body at his mere touch.  
  
She expertly maneuvered the prowler out of the docking bay. She grinned at the familiar euphoria that raised in her when she reached open space. For maybe a quarter of an arn she flew the prowler at top speed through the stars, both to impress Teark with her skills, and for her own enjoyment.  
  
"Where exactly are we supposed to be going?" She asked after satisfying her own wanderlust .  
  
"There's an uninhabited planet..." Teark began.  
  
"You just going to drop her off at some frelling desolate rock?" Aeryn asked surprised, and grimly pleased.  
  
"No of course not, there's a high vegetation content on the planet, and she won't be alone."   
  
"Oh." Was all Aeryn said, suddenly upset for reasons that went far beyond the knowledge that she was breaking protocol and putting her career in jeopardy; reasons that she didn't quite understand. She took a moment to glance over at Teark. His hands were resting on Carah's shoulder, his thumb tracing a soft circle on her skin. She locked eyes with the girl briefly, but she turned her face away in a submissive manner, refusing to look Aeryn in the eye. "What are the coordinates?" Teark gave her a string of numbers, which she punched easily into her control console. For a long time, all were silent.   
  
"Aeryn," Teark's deep voice sounded through the quiet prowler, "You can come with us, if you want to."  
  
"No." Aeryn answered instantly, though she somewhat liked the idea. It just wasn't something she could do. she had a life with the Peacekeepers, and she enjoyed it. She would not give it up so she could go live as a fugitive on some vegetable filled planet. Carah smiled, apparently quite pleased with this decision. The look on her face was almost enough to make her change her mind.   
  
Aeryn's thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of a small dot on her censor. Almost instantly she realized that that spot was a Peacekeeper vessel, one from her own regiment, and it was heading towards them. She told Teark as much. Carah grabbed on to Teark's arm, her wide eyed fear making her look almost attractive.  
  
"They're going to get us." She whimpered, the obvious weakness in her voice making Aeryn slightly sick. She sighed and turned to Teark.  
  
"They've seen us. I'm going to bring the prowler back to the base." She explained, her fingers moving expertly over the vessel's controls as she did exactly what she had said she would. Teark shoved up against her, using his superior strength to shove her away from the controls.  
  
"What the frell Teark!?" She exclaimed, pushing herself off the floor.  
  
"They are not going to catch us." His own fingers were now moving over the controls at a ridiculously slow rate. Aeryn attempted to push them away.  
  
"What are you doing? Do you even know how to fly this thing?" She asked, as Teark pushed her away from him again. He had never been able to do that when they had been younger. She tried to trip him, as she had the unruly prisoner, but he was to familiar with Peacekeeper combat techniques for something so simple to work on him. She also noticed he was hunching over in a position that would allow him to sufficiently halt any attempt at a pentak jab.  
  
"I'll figure it out." That did not fill Aeryn with confidence. She took her pulse rifle out of its holster, holding it against his back.  
  
"Teark, I order you to stand down!" She yelled, both angry and terrified that she'd actually have to shoot her him. Through out all of this Carah remained silent, but Aeryn could see that there were tears running down her cheek.   
  
The planet Teark had mentioned was coming into view... closer... closer. They began to descend into the planets atmosphere at an alarming rate, as Teark made a desperate attempt to regain control over the prowlers betraying engines. Aeryn let her weapon fall to floor.   
  
"We're going to crash! You have to let me fly this." Teark paused, wasting precious microts merely staring at Aeryn. Finally, realizing they didn't have time for this, Aeryn pushed him away. He didn't resist her this time, and stood silently while she tried to facilitate a smooth landing on the planet's surface.  
  
No matter what Aeryn did she could not regain control. Teark had somehow triggered one of the prowlers many security functions that were meant to keep it from being stolen by somebody who was not a trained pilot. She was locked out of the prowlers systems completely, and had no time to reactivate them.   
  
The ship shook, and seemed to collapse under her as it crashed on the planet's surface. There was a burst of light, and a sharp pain in her head. Then she gave into the blackness.  
  
  
*****  
  
Aeryn opened her stormy gray eyes, looking around her ruined prowler in disorientation. She was lying under a rather small pile of debris. Bright sunlight was streaming in through the smashed window, aggravating her already splitting headache. It took her several microts to cognize what had happened, but the mere memory filled her with dread. Not only had she broken protocol, she had also destroyed a prowler, and-Where the frell were Teark and Carah?   
  
She stumbled to her feet, somewhat clumsily, running her fingers through her hair. She could feel something sticky and half dry near her left temple and knew she had bled, but she also knew it was nothing serious. She also found her muscles were extremely stiff, but other than those to minor injuries she was intact. It was truly a shame she couldn't say the same for the prowler.  
  
She called out Teark's name, then Carah's, thinking perhaps one of them had awakened before she had. When there was no reply she began to dig quickly through piles of rubble, not liking the thought of what she might find there. For nearly a sixth of an arn her search was fruitless, then she noticed a small red ravine flowing silently out of one of the piles. She lifted up a large hunk of dead mettle that had been part of the vessel's defense system up off the ground, revealing Carah's broken body.   
  
She turned her head from the sight. She was used to blood, guts, and general gore, and even reveled in it if the entrails were those of her enemy, but the sight of Carah was simply too much. The girls face had almost completely collapsed under the weight of the debris, and her bulging stomach was wide open exposing her insides. Aeryn even thought she had seen a tiny hand before looking away. Silently she wondered if Carah's stomach had burst open like a bubble under the pressure. The thought made her sick; she turned her head to the side and vomited.   
  
She had to force herself to continue her search for Teark. There was already a morbidly clear mental image of his handsome form lying prone, in a state similar to Carah's, forming in her mind. She knew if she were subjected to another site like the one she had just encountered she would be sick again.  
  
Teark was found under another, much smaller pile of collapsed mettle. Aeryn couldn't help but wonder about how hard they had hit the planet's surface to do this much damage to the prowler. He was bleeding, but not profusely, and although the seriousness of his injuries could not be underestimated, he was alive and breathing. But Aeryn knew that if she didn't get him help he wouldn't be breathing much longer.  
  
The communications systems were the only part of the prowler not completely destroyed. How ironically convenient, Aeryn observed, that she could use an instrument that was a component of the very thing that had gotten her into this mess, to call for help, for the person who had caused the situation.   
  
  
****  
  
"This is certainly not something I would have expected from you officer Sun." Aeryn could tell from her captains voice that he was very angry with her. She wanted to shrink back, to cringe away from him, but knew full well that any such action would be viewed as weakness. Instead she stood stiffly at full attention, avoiding his eyes the same way Carah had avoided hers. Erivil seemed frustrated by the fact that she didn't reply. "What exactly did you think you were doing?" He asked exasperated.   
  
"I..." Aeryn paused, she had no clue what to say. She chose to be honest, "I wasn't exactly thinking at the time sir." Erivil seemed to sigh.  
  
"Then what exactly was going on?" The anger in his voice was barely controlled, and his face was going slightly red. Aeryn realized she was going to have to give him an answer, but unsure exactly how.  
  
"I-um-encountered an old acquaintance sir." She stopped, but when Erivil didn't say anything she knew she would have to continue, "A...friend who I used to know. He..."  
  
"Forced you into the prowler?" Erivil asked. Aeryn shook her head in negation.  
  
"No sir, I went on my own free will." Erivil frowned.  
  
"Officer Sun, explain to me what possessed you to do such a thing!" Erivil exclaimed in exasperation.  
  
"Teark!" Aeryn explained in equal exasperation, "He's my... I became emotionally attached to him before I knew any frelling better! Okay? He told me not to go and I did it!" Aeryn blanched. Not only had she just broken protocol and screamed at her superior officer, she had said something that would most likely incriminate Teark. Actually, a spiteful part of Aeryn was actually glad she had said something that could get Teark into trouble, he had after all been the one to get her into this mess in the first place.   
"I apologize sir, that was out of line."  
  
"Noted." Erivil's tone was still extremely serous, but now it was kinder, somewhat less intimidating, "Do you know what this little escapade of yours has caused?"   
  
"The death of a woman who was carrying-"   
  
"A very important child." Erivil finished her sentence for her. Aeryn was silent, hoping he would elaborate. He did not, and she knew better than to ask questions, especially considering her currant situation. However, there was one that needed to be asked.  
  
"Sir," Aeryn began timidly, breaking the uncomfortable silence, "Will Teark be alright?" Her captains facial expression hardened again. He seemed about to dismiss her, but then for some strange reason he didn't. He began to move closer to her-very close. The were almost touching. She could feel his warm breath on her forehead as she stared up at him. She was tall, but he was much taller. His closeness even made it possible for her to smell him, a sweaty but not unpleasant odor. Aeryn had no idea what to do, so she merely stood still.  
  
"He's fine." Erivil's voice surprised Aeryn. She had almost forgotten her question. "But you are not to be seeing him again."   
  
"Thank you sir." Aeryn whispered, then tried to duck away from Erivil. He caught her head in his hand, almost tenderly tracing the line of her jaw with the rough pad of his thumb.  
  
"You are very young." Erivil breathed.   
  
"Yes sir." Aeryn tried to look away from him, but his hand held onto her face tightly.  
  
"Inexperienced." He added. Aeryn didn't say a word. She thought she knew what he wanted, and although certainly intrigued by the prospect, what he had said was true. She was inexperienced. This whole situation was completely new to her. She wasn't sure she'd know what to do.   
  
A thought crossed her mind. This situation was already completely out of her control. There was protocol to be obeyed and she had broken it. She realized he was giving her a second chance, a chance to salvage her career. The universe was not known for second chances, she would be a fool not to take this one.  
  
He kissed her. It was that simple. There was very little emotion involved on her part with the exception of curiosity and an acute interest in detail. She was doing what her superior expected her to, like always.  
  
His lips were warm and rough like sandpaper. She felt his warm toung tap briefly against her closed lips, like a hand knocking on a door, and she opened her mouth to let him in. The inside of his mouth didn't taste similar to any thing she had ever tasted before, but like his scent, it was not unpleasant. To Aeryn's surprise she was actually almost enjoying this. It was certainly a fascinating diversion.   
  
His lips pulled away from hers and started to move down her neck. His hands moved up under her shirt, ever so slowly beginning to remove it. Then he stopped suddenly.   
  
"Not here." He whispered, straitening himself. Aeryn did the same, smoothing out her clothing, and running a hand through her hair. Taking on an air of pseudo seriousness she followed her captain to his private quarters.  
  
*****   
  
Aeryn awakened in Captain Erivil's quarters. He lay fast asleep on his bed, the blankets pulled up slightly passed his waist. Aeryn climbed out of the left side of the bed silently, and gathered up her clothes from a heap on the floor. It took her a microt to separate her own simple apparel from Erivil's.   
  
She observed her captains quarters as she dressed. She had never expected to see them! They were Spartan, almost obsessively so. There was a small shelf with a few necessary electronics, surrounded by gray walls and flooring. A few weapons, some of which Aeryn had never seen the like of before, were strapped to the wall, which was also adorned with a small view screen. There weren't any seats, but his bed was comfortable enough. Aeryn was in a position to know.   
  
Captain Erivil seemed extremely attractive as he slept, more so than Aeryn remembered him ever being. His exposed arms and chest were muscular, but not overly so. It was covered in tiny ringlets of hair that were the same auburn color of that which was on his head. His face was not the only part of his body that was scared. A rather large white scar ran across the area of flesh that lay over his peripheral nerve. That wound must have been deep... and painful.   
  
She traced the pail sliver of flesh with feather light fingers. Last night had certainly been interesting, although somewhat painful. He had seemed to enjoy it at the time, but already Aeryn was beginning to have doubts about her performance. Had she done it right?  
  
Erivil's eyes shot open, and Aeryn jerked her hand away. He sat up in bed, and smiled briefly at her.  
  
"Did you sleep well officer Sun?" He asked simply, as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened. He got up and began to dress. Aeryn didn't look away. It was nothing she hadn't seen before.  
  
"Yes sir." She replied in kind. She gave him a faint smile which he returned.  
  
"You'd better get going, or you'll be lat for conditioning, ensign." Aeryn nodded, and left the room obediently.   
  
  
  
~~~~Notes: More coming very soon... If reviews are good enough.  



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